Fight to Survive
by punk-lord
Summary: Ahsoka Tano must survive in a world where the Jedi are exiled, the clones are now controlled by the Sith, and there is no one to trust.
1. Chapter 1

**Star Wars: Fight to Survive**

**Chapter 1 **

The year was 19 BBY. Order 66 had begun. Most Jedi were killed during the onslaught, with a few exceptions, such as Master Yoda and Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, though both had gone into hiding. There were others as well, but none would reveal themselves. The Galactic Empire was in full control of the galaxy.

Ahsoka Tano had survived.

Luckily for her, she had been no where near her master, Anakin Skywalker, when he joined the dark side and raided the Jedi Temple with the help of the clones. She was on Cato Neimoidia with Master Plo Koon. She watched from the ground as his Jedi starfighter was shot down by clones, killing him.

Obviously, her clones turned on her as well. Not wanting to kill them, she only defended herself and made a run for it. It seemed like hours before she could make it to her ship. Ahsoka quickly manned her Jedi starfighter and after a very difficult few minutes of evading blaster fire, managed to make her way off of the planet and away from the clones.

While leaving Cato Neimoidia, she sent out a transmission that Obi-Wan eventually answered.

His voice was soft, sad, and frail. He said over the transmitter, "Ahsoka, are you alright?"

"Yes!" she quickly replied, her voice shaking. "What is going on, Master Kenobi? Why did the clones turn on me? They shot down Master Plo Koon!"

"I know, child," his voice replied, trying to remain calm.

"Where are you?" Ahsoka felt tears running down her cheeks. "Where are you? Where is Master Yoda? Master Windu? Where is Anakin?"

Obi-Wan did not reply at first. Ahsoka waited patiently. Finally, he sighed, "Ahsoka, where are you?"

"I just left Cato Neimoidia," she answered.

"Meet me in at the coordinates I am sending you," he said, then the transmission cut off.

Ahsoka examined the coordinates carefully. She double-checked them twice even, but couldn't read them correctly apparently. The coordinates he had sent her would have sent her straight to Nal Hutta. That couldn't have been right. The Hutts would never allow the Jedi to hide out on their planet.

That's when she remembered it. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and herself had once made a list of codewords, incase they needed to conceal their actual location. When Obi-Wan sent the coordinates to Nal Hutta, that meant she should go to Tatooine.

She put in the coordinates to Tatooine and away she went. A while later, she was landing on the desert planet, in the outskirts. She saw a small, dirt hut and Obi-Wan Kenobi, standing just outside of it in his robes. She practically leaped into his arms and burst out into tears seeing him.

He comforted her, "Don't cry, child."

She let go, wiped her tears away, and said, "Where's Master Skywalker?"

Obi-Wan took his hood off and sighed, "Ahsoka, let's go inside."

The two went inside. Obi-Wan fixed each of them a drink and they took a seat at a table. Ahsoka said, "Where'd you get this place?"

"Oh, I've had it," Obi-Wan shrugged, taking a sip of his drink.

"Where's Anakin?" Ahsoka sadly asked again.

"The Republic is no more," Obi-Wan shook his head. "Palpatine betrayed us all. He transformed the Republic into a Galactic Empire. The clones are at his disposal now. Master Windu is . . . dead."

"No," her eyes sank.

"Master Yoda is alive," Obi-Wan smiled. "He is in hiding, as I am, and you soon will be."

"Hiding?" Ahsoka shook her head. "We . . . we . . . we have to fight, Obi-Wan! We can't just cower!"

"We must go into exile," Obi-Wan said. "We don't stand a chance. There are so few of us left now. The Jedi are being destroyed. Palpatine will not rest until every Jedi is dead."

"But," she sighed. "We can't just let him win."

"Be patient, Padawan," Obi-Wan put his hand on her shoulder, trying his best to make her feel better.

"Where's Anakin?" she asked one last time, not even looking up at Obi-Wan.

The Jedi sighed, then stuttered, "Anakin is dead." Ahsoka didn't say a word. She cried silently. Obi-Wan tilted her head up, "Don't cry, Ahsoka. Anakin would want you to stay safe. I want you to stay safe."

"Where's Padme'?" she asked.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and said, "She died during child birth."

"Birth?" Ahsoka looked up. "I hadn't seen Padme' in so long. I didn't know she was pregnant."

"Yes," Obi-Wan nodded with a chuckle, "Anakin had, of course, disobeyed the Jedi and married her as well."

Ahsoka laughed, "He had to pull one more on us, didn't he?"

Obi-Wan laughed with her and nodded happily, "Yes, I suppose he did." Then, though, his mood sank. He said sadly, "He was like my brother."

"You loved him," Ahsoka hugged him.

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied. Then, though, he changed the subject. "But, though it is quite unfortunate that we lost Padme', the twins are healthy and alive."

"Twins?" Ahsoka's eyes lit up. "Can I see them?"

"I'm afraid not," he shook his head. "The girl is on her way to Alderaan, and the boy, well, he is here on Tatooine." He let loose a smile.

"Here?" Ahsoka smiled back. "Please let me see him!" She squealed, always loving children.

"Sorry," he said. "He is with his family now. We must not disturb him. Let him live a normal life."

"Alright, alright," she calmed down. She said, "Master, what is going to happen to us?"

"I don't know, Padawan, I don't know," he replied. "But, you must go."

"What?" her eyes shot open. "Let me stay here with you, Master! Please!"

"Child, if the Empire finds me here, I don't want them to find and kill you as well," Obi-Wan knelt down to her and put both hands on her shoulders, "The Empire is looking for me. I recently fought Palpatine's new apprentice, Darth Vader. He won't take lightly to me destroying him."

"But, Master, they won't find you here!" she backed away from him. "I can't be alone!"

"Ahsoka," he shook his head. "You can do this. You are a Jedi."

"I'm a Padawan," she looked down sadly.

Obi-Wan smiled, "Not anymore, you're not."

"What?" she looked at him confused.

"Ahsoka Tano, as a Master Jedi of the Jedi High Council, I hereby grant you the rank of Jedi Knight," Obi-Wan proudly said, knowing exactly how to increase Ahsoka's mood.

Her skin glowed and his eyes lit up. She happily squealed, "Really?! Seriously?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan nodded.

She hugged him tight. Then, though, trying to act like a mature Jedi (which Obi-Wan found humorous), Ahsoka cleared her throat, adjusted herself, and headed for the door. She stopped in the arch way though.

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan said.

She turned to him. "Yes, Master Kenobi?"

"Listen to me carefully," he said. "Do not use any open channels. I am glad you knew to come to Tatooine when I told you Nal Hutta. Stay smart like that, alright?"

"Alright, Master."

"If you must make contact with me, do not use the name Obi-Wan. I am using an old alias. Ben Kenobi. I suggest you create one for yourself as well."

"Yes, Master."

"You must get rid of your Jedi starfighter as soon as possible. Get a more civilian-like ship. Then, find a docile planet to secure yourself on."

"But, Master, I-"

"Please, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan said. "For Anakin?"

She sighed and nodded, "Alright. For Anakin."

Ahsoka smiled at Obi-Wan and headed out the door. The Jedi Master walked to the doorway to see her get into her Jedi starfighter and fly away quickly, away from the planet. He went back into his hut sadly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The year was 9 BBY. Ten years had passed since Order 66 had been executed. Ahsoka, now in her early twenties, had secured herself on her home planet of Shili after leaving Tatooine ten years ago. She hadn't left the planet since arriving.

Ahsoka sold her starfighter to a couple of smugglers immediately after arriving, who had no interest in the war, so the fact that she was a Jedi did not affect the transaction.

The Empire had visited the planet quite rarely since she had been there. Only once had Imperials knocked on her door and after answering a few census questions, then were on their way, never even suspecting her of being a Jedi. It was a good thing no Sith had knocked on her door.

She had heard about the legendary Darth Vader, a Sith that Obi-Wan had mentioned to her. She thought he said he had destroyed Vader, but she guessed she must have misunderstood him. There were also rumors floating around that the Empire was preparing to set up on Shili permanently, but in the ten years she had been staying there, no Imperials had set up camp yet.

* * *

Ahsoka walked into a diner that was just down the street from her small house. She took a seat at the counter. It was quite early and the diner was nearly empty. A male Togruta behind the counter turned to her and smiled.

"What can I get you?" he asked politely.

The female Togruta just shrugged, "What ever is good for breakfast, I guess."

"I'll whip you up my specialty," he tried his best at flirting with her, but it wasn't going well.

After a few moments, he returned with a plate of food and sat it down for her. She slowly ate it. Ahsoka hadn't been happy in ten years. She had barely spoken in ten years. In truth, she was very bored.

"So," he said, "I'm Taxir."

She didn't say anything. She kept eating.

"I've never seen you in here before," he said, while cleaning a glass with a rag.

"Never been in here before," she replied. "Thought I'd give it a try, though."

"How is it?" he happily asked.

"It's good."

Taxir quietly polished the glass for a moment, then looked back at Ahsoka. She was still quietly eating. He once again broke the silence. "So, what do you do?"

"I trade things," she said.

"Oh, that's cool," he nodded. "Ever come across any really neat artifacts or collectables or anything? I had a buddy once that did a lot of trading and managed to get his hands on some sort of Mandalorian - "

"Thanks for the food," Ahsoka slapped her credits on the counter, then headed out the door. Taxir sadly watcher her go, then put the credits in the register.

Ahsoka walked back towards her home, but stopped when she heard the sound of a ship. She looked up as an Imperial Shuttle flew over head, going towards the spaceport. She cursed under her breath and walked faster, back to her home.

Ahsoka had made contact with Obi-Wan twice since she had left Tatooine. She called him as soon as she got there, not forgetting to call him Ben, and again, a few years later when she was lonely, and just needed an old friend.

After seeing that shuttle go over, she made her way to the transmitter and waited for Obi-Wan's reply. After a few moments, he appeared in holographic form. He seemed tired.

"Hello . . . Ben," she said.

"Hi there," he seemed happy to see her. "My goodness, it's been a long time. How are you?"

"Been better," she shrugged.

"Good lord, girl, it's been years," Obi-Wan seemed to be in a very good mood. "You've certainly grown up. You look beautiful."

"I don't feel it," she shrugged. "Why are you so cheerful, anyway?"

"Oh, ho, ho," Obi-Wan laughed. "I was chased by Sand People all day. It's a work out."

Ahsoka didn't even smile, though she wanted to. She said, "I've got a problem, Ben."

"Imperials?"

"Yeah," she said. "Have you had any - "

"No," Obi-Wan replied. "They're not searching Tatooine too hard though."

"They're not searching for me," Ahsoka said. "They keep coming here for different, political reasons. Prime Minister Bakura won't hand over the planet. There's rumors going around that the Empire is just gonna move in, kick him out, and stay for good."

"If they do, I suggest you leave," Obi-Wan said. "Go to the Outer Rim. They have no control out here."

She smirked, "If they do, expect some company pretty soon. I'll be rooming with you."

"I could use some company."

Ahsoka was shocked. She had initially said that as a joke, but now that the offer was up, she would have loved to see Obi-Wan again. "You really want me to come see you?"

"I don't want to endanger you, child," Obi-Wan replied. "Just, stay safe."

There was a knock on Ahsoka's door. She rolled her eyes. "I'll talk to you later, Ben."

She ended the transmission. Ahsoka angrily made her way over to her door and answered it. Two Stormtroopers stood there, their expressions completely unknown behind their helmets. Recently, the Empire had begun accepting non-clone recruits into the Empire, so she wasn't entirely sure if these were clones or not.

"Can I help you?" she crossed her arms.

"We'd like to ask you some questions, ma'am," one trooper said.

"Make it quick," Ahsoka replied rudely. "I got a date." She lied, just trying to act like a smartass.

The other trooper said, "Ma'am, we have a warrant for a search of your home."

"Excuse me?" she stepped in front of him before he could enter.

"Random searches, ma'am," he shrugged. "I'm sure you understand. Everyone's got to do one eventually."

"You can't do that," she growled.

"Yes we can," the trooper gently shoved her out of the way as the two made their way inside.

Ahsoka's eyes burned with fire as she followed them back in, closing the door behind her, but not before Taxir saw the troops enter her house. He worriedly walked towards her home.

The troopers examined every square inch of the small house. Ahsoka stood back, watching them carefully. The only thing she feared was if they went into her basement, though the trap door was underneath her bed.

"Come on, let's go," one trooper said to the other.

The other one, though, said, "Wait just a minute, geeze. We do have a job to do, you know."

The two went into her bedroom. Ahsoka followed and watched them carefully. After looking around, they both looked at Ahsoka. One said, "Anything under the bed?"

"See for yourself," She said, leaning against the wall.

The two troops shrugged and said, "Thanks." Then, they left.

She went to the door, just to make sure they were really gone, then was cut off guard as Taxir was suddenly in front of her. Startled, she stepped back and glared at him.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"I was just seeing if everything was alright? I saw those troops and - "

"It was a random home search," she shrugged.

"I've never had a random home search," he nervously replied. "I never caught your name."

"Soma. My name is Soma."

"Hi, Soma, I'm Taxir," he happily said.

"Yeah, I know," she blew him off her shoulder. "Listen, it's been nice, but I'm actually getting ready to leave this planet so I'll see you around."

"Empire's closed all space transportation down," Taxir shook his head. "Haven't you been watching the news?"

"What?" Ahsoka's eyes shot open.

"Yeah, apparently, Vader's been going from planet to planet, hunting Jedi," Taxir explained. "Made his way here. Claims there's a Jedi here and no one's allowed to leave the planet until he finds him."

Ahsoka became very scared. She pushed Taxir out the front door. "I need you to leave." Then, she slammed the door shut in his face.

Ahsoka rang Obi-Wan again on the transmitter. "Ben, you have to help me!"

Obi-Wan replied, "Calm down, Ahsoka, what's wrong?"

"Darth Vader is here!" she nearly screamed, unaware that Taxir was listening through the door and could hear her. "What should I do?"

"You need to get off Shili," he said. "Go to the planet Godo. It's in the Outer Rim. It's not controlled by the Empire. You should be safe there."

"Thank you, Master. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, child. Call me when you get there."

The transmission ended. There was another knock at the door. Ahsoka hesitantly went to it and answered and frowned to see Taxir standing there once again. She angrily said, "Can I help you?"

"Um . . . " he rubbed his arm. "I can help you, actually."

"What?" her mouth dropped.

"I can help you get to Godo."

Ahsoka grabbed Taxir by the shirt collar and drug him inside. She locked the door and in an instant, her lightsaber was out and she had Taxir pushed up against a wall with the green blade to his neck. He didn't seem scared, though.

"I can help you. I want to help you."

"Why should I trust you? I just met you this morning!" she brought the blade closer to his neck, the hairs on it singed. "You were even eavesdropping on my conversations. I have no reason to trust you."

"Please," he said. "The only kind of ships that the Empire will let leave are their own. I used to be a pilot for Imperial cargo transports. My license is still valid, so I could commandeer a ship and take you to Godo."

"Why aren't you an Imperial anymore?" she asked.

"I broke my arm during a crash," he gulped, getting a little more nervous now. "I was given a temporary leave, but I decided to quit all together. I was never asked to return my license, so it should still get us by security."

"Why do you want to help me?"

"Because you need it," he said. "Because, I always believed in the Jedi. Because . . . I like you."

Ahsoka turned the blade off and hid her lightsaber once again. She sighed, "You'll really take me to Godo?"

"Yes," Taxir nodded. "But you have to trust me. Can't be pulling that blade on me again."

"Don't count on it," she glared. "It's hard for me to trust anyone. Everyone is against me, they just don't know it."

"I'm not against you," he smiled. "I promise to get you to Godo."

"Thanks, I guess," she managed a smile. "I'm Ahsoka Tano."

"I thought your name was Soma?" he looked at her oddly.

"Yeah . . . it's not," she gave him a large, goofy grin; the same kind of grin that a much younger, happier Ahsoka used to use a lot. "It's Ahsoka."

"Nice to meet you again," Taxir lamely said, still trying to impress her.

Ahsoka and Taxir packed up what little things she had, then headed out the door, preparing to leave Shili.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Commander Lewis Parrell of the Imperial Army stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the lowering ramp of the Imperial Shuttle that had just landed in the spaceport on Shili. The menacing, black-armored, heavy breathing Sith Lord Darth Vader marched out of it.

"Lord Vader," Parrell smiled at the Sith. "This is most unexpected."

Vader approached him and towered over him. "There is a Jedi here, Commander."

"I assure you sir," Parrell shook his head. "There are no Jedi. I did as I was instructed. Every home in this city has been thoroughly searched by my men and they have found no evidence of a Jedi."

"I will decide whether or not that is true," Vader said, walking past Parrell.

The Commander rolled his eyes, then followed Vader. "Sir," he said, "My men are the best. There are no Jedi on Shili."

Vader ignored Parrell and walked into the spaceport, escorted by several Stormtroopers. Parrell cursed the dark lord under his breath, then returned to his post with his men.

* * *

Ahsoka stood awkwardly in Taxir's home and he packed up some of his stuff and searched for this Imperial pilot license. He tried to make small talk as he searched for it through his untidy house.

"So, tell me about being a Jedi," he said.

"I'd rather not," she replied coldly.

"Alright," he accepted it. "Tell me about yourself."

"I'm a fugitive who is, for some reason, putting all of her faith into an Imperial pilot she met this morning," she shot him a glare. "I'm pretty stupid, if you ask me."

"Maybe," he shrugged, looking at her. "But, you're a Jedi, so wouldn't you be able to sense if I was going to betray you?"

"The Dark Side can cloud my senses," she crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "The Empire is here. Darth Vader is here. I'm pretty much blind right now." She smirked.

"Well, I gave you my word," Taxir smiled.

"Your word means nothing," Ahsoka harshly said.

Taxir, obviously a little hurt by her remark, just tried to brush it off and continued to pack his things. Finally, he found his license. "Got it!" he excitedly said. "Now, let's get off this rock."

Ahsoka and Taxir left his house and headed towards the spaceport. She whispered to him as they walk, "If Vader is at the spaceport, he will sense me and kill me."

Taxir smiled, "Leave it to me. You wait here."

Ahsoka stood a ways outside of the spaceport as Taxir made his way inside. After a few moments, he stepped back out and motioned her forward. She joined him and the second they stepped foot in the spaceport, Taxir threw a pair of handcuffs on her and gave her a strong shove. Her teeth nearly cracked, she was gritting them so hard from her anger at his betrayal.

A Stormtrooper stopped them, "Where are you going?"

Taxir flashed his license. "Prisoner being transferred to Kessel."

The Stormtrooper shrugged, "Alright, go on."

Ahsoka smiled. He hadn't betrayed her after all. Taxir led Ahsoka into a landing pad where a small, miniature space shuttle sat. It seemed to be unguarded and unoccupied. They got on board and Taxir took the cuffs off of Ahsoka.

"Thought bad things about me there for a second, didn't you?" Taxir laughed taking the cuffs off.

Ahsoka smiled back and shrugged, "Maybe."

Taxir sat down in the pilot's seat, Ahsoka in the co-pilot's, and the shuttle was away, leaving Shili.

* * *

Commander Parrell, two Stormtroopers, and Darth Vader stood in the living room of Ahsoka Tano's home. The door had been knocked down and the place was trashed by the troopers.

Vader growled, "This is it."

"Sir," one trooper said, "We searched this house this morning. We found no evidence of - "

Vader immediately picked up the trooper with the Force and slung him through a wall, landing him in Ahsoka's kitchen where he busted his head on her sink. The other trooper cringed.

"This is where the Jedi was!" Vader barked.

He stomped into the bedroom, but then stopped, sensing something. Parrell said, "What is it, my lord?"

Vader picked up the bed with the Force and lifted it away. There, he saw a hatch leading into a basement. The Dark Lord turned and looked at the surviving trooper. He said, "Did you check everywhere?"

The trooper didn't even know what to say.

Vader, though, Force pushed the trooper back into the living room, slamming him against a wall. Then, he ripped the hatch off its hinges and he and Parrell marched down the steps into the basement. Parrell found a light switch and turned it on.

In the small basement, were Jedi artifacts. Robes, lightsabers, statues, and holocrons. Vader calmly said, "The Jedi is gone. It knew I was coming."

"How, sir?" Parrell asked. "The Force?"

"The Dark Side clouds a Jedi's mind," Vader replied. "It knew I was coming because your troops lack subtlety, Commander."

Parrell adjusted his collar and mumbled, "My apologies, sir."

"The next time I am searching for a Jedi," Vader pointed his finger in Parrell's face, "Let's not alert the entire planet."

"Y-Yes, sir," Parrell gulped as Vader marched back up the stairs.

* * *

The Imperial shuttle that Ahsoka and Taxir had commandeered flew through space, now engaged in hyperspace, on its way to the Outer Rim planet of Godo. Ahsoka sat quietly with her eyes closed, trying to meditate, but Taxir was making it difficult.

"So, were you a knight or master or what?" he asked.

"I was a Padawan," she replied without opening her eyes. "Later, I became a knight . . . sort of."

"Who was your master?" he asked with a smile.

"Master Skywalker," she said.

"Oh, I think I've heard of him," Taxir nodded. "Did you know Yoda?"

"Yes," she said, then stood up. "I'm going to go and get some sleep."

Ahsoka stepped through a door and left the cockpit. Taxir just sighed as he went back to focusing on the controls. Ahsoka went back into a small lounge area of the shuttle and walked over to a transmitter. She input Obi-Wan's coordinates and he appeared.

"Hello there," he said.

"Master," Ahsoka shook her head with an annoyed look, "I've left Shili. I'm on my way to Godo. Can I please come to Tatooine?"

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan shook his head, "It'd be too dangerous having two Jedi together at one place. The Emperor could sense that from a galaxy away. Godo will be a safe planet for you. I promise."

"Alright," she shrugged, flopping down in a chair.

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan seemed to be examining something on his computer. "Why does it say that this transmission is coming from an Imperial shuttle?"

"Oh," she became nervous. "A guy is helping me . . . giving me a ride."

"Who?"

"Um, he's just a guy I know," she shrugged, rubbing her arm. "A friend."

"A friend that knows you're a Jedi?" Obi-Wan's eyebrows raised. "An Imperial friend?"

"He kind of stole an Imperial shuttle, I guess you could say," she said, "And yeah, he kinda figured out I'm a Jedi."

"Ahsoka," Obi-Wan shook his head with disappointment. "You trust this man?"

Ahsoka stayed silent for a moment, looking Obi-Wan in the eyes. She muttered, "Sure."

Obi-Wan let out a deep sigh and shook his head. He said, "I asked you to stay smart. You're not doing that. Trusting this Imperial who figured out you're a Jedi is not wise."

"I know, I know, but I didn't have another way off of Shili!" she argued. "Vader shut down all space travel. I was desperate."

"If you make it known that you a desperate, others will mistake it for being weak," Obi-Wan sighed. "And they will try to take advantage of you. The second you arrive at Godo, you need to wipe this shuttle's logs clean and dispose of it permanently. Then, get as far away from this Imperial as you can."

"Alright, Master, sorry," she sighed.

Without a goodbye, Obi-Wan ended the transmission. Ahsoka laid her head back, ashamed of herself for disappointing Obi-Wan. Then, she heard a noise. She went over to a small closet and opened it. She was surprised to see a droid there. It was short, about as tall as an astromech droid, but was humanoid with brown plating. It looked at her nervously.

"Uh," it grumbled, "Wrong door."

The droid grabbed the closet door and closed it shut. Ahsoka, a little confused by it, opened the door again and asked, "Who are you?"

"No one," the droid tried to close the door again but Ahsoka stopped him.

She knelt down to him and smiled. She wiped a little dust off its head then said, "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" the droid asked. "You have no Imperial file. You're not authorized to pilot this ship."

"I'm not piloting it," Ahsoka smirked. "What's your name?"

The droid hesitated, but eventually said, "You can call me DU-655. But, um, the troops usually called me Duster."

"Duster?" she asked. "Why Duster?"

"Well, I don't know," it replied. "I mean, they would say stuff like, 'Hey look at that little piss can Duster!' Or, 'Hey Duster, scoot your metal ass over here and get to scrubbing these floors!' Or - "

"I get it," she stopped him. "You were a cleaning droid."

"Technically maintenance, but yes, I did end up doing more cleaning than fixing I suppose," it seemed sort of ashamed.

Ahsoka noticed this. She said, "You sure are displaying a lot of emotions."

Duster leaned against the wall and nodded, "Yeah, well, most people don't understand droids to the full extent. We may be artificial lifeforms but, hey, we know when you're insulting us. Plus, I was one of the droids given a sensitivity chip as testing."

"Sensitivity chip?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah," Duster nodded. "Apparently some scientists believed that if droids were given minor emotions, we would be more loyal and such. Like, if I could feel sorry for a woman's oven not working, I'd do a better job fixing it. But, yeah, it didn't work. I didn't care either way. So, they stuck me on here. I think I'm malfunctioned, actually. But, who knows?"

Ahsoka smiled, "So, are you going to report me, Duster?"

"Report you?" Duster seemed shocked. "Are you doing anything wrong? The only thing I see is a droid and a girl talking about their feelings."

Ahsoka wasn't sure if he was smarting off or not. He was an odd droid. She said, "You don't like the Empire, do you?"

"I'm not programmed to like anything," he shrugged. "So, to answer your question . . . no, I don't."

Ahsoka then heard Taxir's voice over an intercom system. "Hey, Ahsoka, could you come up here?"

Ahsoka, followed by Duster, went back to the cockpit. She was a little confused. They had exited hyperspace but they were not at Godo. They were actually just floating in deep space. Taxir shrugged, "This doesn't seem right."

"What happened?" Ahsoka looked at the input coordinates carefully.

Duster then said, "It appears that some sort of jamming device messed up your hyperspace coordinates. Only a very powerful ship could pull that off."

"What's this?" Taxir pointed at the droid.

"I'm Duster!" the droid said.

"Duster's right," Ahsoka said. "Some sort of interference messed up our systems. Duster, what could cause that?"

Duster hopped up in the co-pilot's seat and sat there for a moment. He then said, "Well, a number of things. A jamming device, for one. But, it seems unlikely that one could affect you in mid-hyperspace travel. Asteroid field possible . . . no, wait, not asteroids."

"What, then?" she asked.

"Comets," Duster pointed out the window.

Ahsoka and Taxir both looked as a shower of comets were heading their way. Ahsoka immediately looked at Taxir and said, "Get us out of here!"

Taxir didn't waste time. He immediately began to maneuver around the comets. Duster jumped off the seat and hid behind it, covering his eyes. Ahsoka never took her eyes off of it though and even found herself smiling at the thrill and excitement. Taxir as a nervous wreck.

After a few moments, Ahsoka pulled Taxir out of the seat and took over the controls. Only one comet actually struck the ship until finally, they made it out of the shower. Taxir and Duster both seemed scared out of their minds but Ahsoka was laughing.

She cheered, "Wow! That was close!"

"Yeah," Taxir's voice cracked.

"What now?" Ahsoka asked.

Duster said, "You must move far enough away from the comets to find the actual coordinates to your location."

As Ahsoka piloted the ship, Taxir kept looking at her. She pretended not to notice at first, but then said, "What is it?" and glanced at him.

"Well," he shrugged. "You had fun, doing that." He laughed. "I guess you used to do that often as a Jedi."

"Yeah," she smiled.

"Jedi?" Duster asked. "I'm supposed to report you."

"Duster," Ahsoka sadly looked at him.

"Doesn't mean I'm going to," Duster said. "I could get fired for this, you know."

Ahsoka laughed and nodded, "I know. But, as long as you stick with us, I think you'll be okay."

"Us?" Taxir smiled at her.

Ahsoka, not sure of what to say next, just blushed and continued to pilot the shuttle.

* * *

Back on Shili, Vader had a Stormtrooper in a Force grip, choking him.

"What did they look like?" Vader barked.

Parrell put a hand on Vader's arm, trying to calm him. "Lord Vader, don't you think you're - "

Vader just looking at Parrell was enough to make him shut up and back off. Vader turned his attention back to the trooper held up with the Force. He once again said, "What did they look like?"

"Two Togruta!" the trooper choked. "A guy and a girl. I don't know how else to describe it! The guy was taking the girl prisoner, to Kessel!"

"Kessel?" Parrell scratched his head. "There were no prisoners scheduled for transportation."

Vader slung the trooper aside, into a wall. Then, turned to Parrell. "Check all the ship logs. Find that missing shuttle, Commander, or I will be holding you personally responsible."

"Yes, my lord," Parrell nodded. "Lord Vader, do you think one of these Togruta could be the Jedi you're looking for?"

"Yes," Vader answered. "Unfortunately, I do."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It seemed like they were flying through space for hours, though it had only been about twenty minutes. Ahsoka looked at Duster and said, "Any luck?"

Duster replied, "No, Jedi, it's still not working. Perhaps there is something wrong with it?"

Taxir rubbed his eyes and groaned, "Maybe this is just a piece of crap shuttle that we stole."

"Stole?" Ahsoka glanced at him. "Let me ask you something, Taxir. Are the Imperials going to be looking for this ship?"

"I'd say so!" Taxir retorted. "I figured we could at least get to Godo before they found out though, then we could ditch the ship. Trash it or sell it or something, I don't know!"

"We?" Ahsoka chuckled. "There's no _we_, Taxir. I'm a fugitive."

"Yeah, so am I now," he rolled his eyes.

Duster shook his tiny, metal head, "Anger is one emotion I'll never understand. What is the point of being angry?"

Both Togrutas ignored him and continued doing what they were doing. Ahsoka flying the ship, and Taxir sitting in his chair, sulking in his anger.

After a few more moments, several systems came back online in the ship. Duster excitedly said, "Oh, look! Jedi, it's working!"

"Good," Ahsoka activated the hyperdrive. "Now we can get out of this mess."

* * *

It didn't take long for the ship to reach Godo. They landed the shuttle in a spaceport, then Ahsoka was sure to wipe all of the logs on the shuttle clean. She exited the ship and stood outside as Taxir came down the ramp.

"Well, thanks," she shrugged. "What are you going to do with the ship?"

"I don't know," Taxir replied.

Duster came down the ramp then and stuck by Ahsoka's side. "I'm with you, Jedi." He said.

"Duster, you can't call me that here," she hushed him. "People can't know."

"Then I will need something to call you, Jedi," Duster said.

"Just call me Ahsoka," she smiled at him.

"As you wish, Ahsoka," Duster replied. "Farewell, male Togruta whose name I never caught!"

Taxir glared at the droid. "It's Taxir, droid."

Ahsoka looked at Taxir again and managed a weak smile, "Thank you. Thank you for helping me get here."

"Yeah," he shrugged and went back inside the ship.

Ahsoka sighed and led Duster into the city.

* * *

An Imperial Shuttle made its descent into Godo. Vader and Parrell stood in the cockpit, looking over the planet. Vader choked, "It's here. The Jedi is here. I can sense it."

"There's our shuttle," Parrell said, pointing at the small, parked shuttle at the spaceport. "Those fools should have deactivated its tracking device. Your Jedi isn't too smart, Lord Vader." He chuckled.

Vader rolled his eyes behind his helmet.

* * *

Taxir prepared to start the engines to the shuttle, but then he saw the other shuttle preparing to land. His heart sank. "Ahsoka," he whispered. Taxir quickly jumped out of his seat and left the shuttle, searching the street for her.

Then, he saw her. She was talking to a vendor about a necklace. He ran to her, and nearly knocked her down.

"Taxir!" she exclaimed.

"Ahsoka, come here," he led her away from the vendor. Duster followed them. "The Empire is here. I saw an Imperial Shuttle land. They might be looking for us!"

"Oh no," she gulped. "I knew taking an Imperial Shuttle was a bad idea. Come on!"

Ahsoka led Duster and Taxir towards a public transportation station that had ships that acted as buses. They would take passengers to and from planets. They stood in a very long line to get tickets.

Ahsoka tried to ignore Taxir's loud, panicking mouth and Duster's smart remarks and tried to concentrate. Though her vision was clouded, she could see him coming. Darth Vader was coming for her right then. And he knew she knew he was coming. Vader was prepared to fight if it meant killing her.

Suddenly, Ahsoka's lightsaber was out. The green blade swung around and immediately sliced two Stormtrooper rifles in half before they had a chance to fire on them. Taxir dropped to the ground, scared out of his mind.

The two Stormtroopers didn't know what to do. Ahsoka, though, Force pushed them both into a wall of a building across the street. Then, Commander Parrell and Darth Vader appeared.

Parrell slowly clapped his hands, "Good job, Jedi."

People in the streets scattered, trying to get away. Darth Vader kept his eyes locked on Ahsoka. She held up her blade, ready for a battle. Duster sat down on the ground and said, "About time I get to see a battle. Destroy him, Jedi!"

"Darth Vader, I presume?" Ahsoka said, her blade still ready to fight.

Oddly enough, Vader still hadn't pulled out his lightsaber. He just stared at her. Parrell, growing impatient, looked at the Dark Lord and said, "Well? There's your Jedi, Vader. Destroy her."

Vader withdrew his blade from his belt and let its red beam shine. He didn't take much of a fighting position though. He just continued to examine Ahsoka very carefully.

Parrell grew angry. "Vader! Destroy her!"

Taxir jumped to his feet with a blaster in hand and began firing at Parrell and Vader. Darth Vader immediately began blocking the blasts as Parrell cowered behind the Sith.

Ahsoka, Duster, and Taxir ran away from them, into the spaceport as fast as they could, Taxir still firing. They ran into the public transportation station and up to a counter. No one stood behind it though. They had probably run off after hearing the gun shots outside.

The young Jedi turned around to see Darth Vader and Parrell marching into the building. "Come on!" she called to Taxir and Duster. The three ran past the gate and towards a large transport that was getting ready to take off. There was a droid standing at its entrance, collecting the tickets.

The hatch on the ship began to close as the three heroes made it to the ship. The droid exclaimed, "Tickets, please!" But, Ahsoka took her lightsaber to it, cutting it into three pieces and they jumped on board the ship just in time as it quickly zoomed away from the planet.

Vader and Parrell stood in its vapor trail, both of them furious. Parrell slapped his hands on his side and hissed, "Good job, Vader. You had them, and you let them go!"

Vader, who had grown increasingly tired of Commander Parrell, wrapped his large, bulky fingers around the Commander's throat and held him up high. Parrell choked and struggled, trying to scream and get free.

Vader said, "Commander Parrell, find out where that transport was going. Now."

The Sith dropped him and walked away. Parrell got back to his feet and rubbed his neck very carefully and painfully followed the Dark Lord.

* * *

On board the transport ship, the three sat in a bar area of the freighter. People were all around them drinking and having fun, but not Ahsoka, Taxir, and Duster. They sat at a table, chatting quietly.

"So, I says to the protocol droid," Duster went on, "Hey buddy, translate this! And then I flash him my coolant vent!" Duster burst out laughing, even slamming his fist on the table over and over.

Ahsoka and Taxir, not truly understand the droid's humor, politely laughed, then glanced at each other awkwardly and shrugged, both admitting they didn't understand the joke.

Taxir said, "So, anyway, what's the plan? Seems like we're all in this together."

Ahsoka sighed, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even let you bring me to Godo, Taxir. I put you in danger. I wasn't acting like a very noble Jedi." She looked down sadly, ashamed of herself.

Taxir put a hand on her shoulder and smiled, "All you did was accept a little help. Even Jedi need help sometimes."

She shrugged shamefully. Duster interrupted their conversation, "Jedi, Male Togruta, you may want to look at the holo-screen."

The two turned and looked to see that everyone in the bar was watching it. It showed a Stormtrooper giving a report that two Togruta and a droid were on the run from the law enforcement. They were aboard a transport freighter leaving Godo, on its way to Ord Mantell. Practically everyone in the bar was now looking at Ahsoka, Taxir, and Duster.

Then, the Stormtrooper added, "One of them is a Jedi. Use caution."

Now, everyone in the bar was not only staring at them, but had blasters drawn on them as well. Ahsoka sighed heavily and looked at Taxir, "Still glad you came along?"


End file.
